Since camping, we’ve taken up fishing.
I mean, I’ve always loved fishing. But now Tim and Jaxon have caught their first fish…it’s on!
The boys quickly lose interest. But they occupy themselves doing boy things while we fish.
We haven’t had much luck. In fact, we have only caught one fish! One fish! Then it simply got too cold and windy to keep going. So until summer comes again, no more fishing.
Well we had a bad ending too!
It was so wet at our camping spot that the ground was all slippery and dangerous.
My Dad got his friend to tow the trailer out of the park thinking that we wouldn’t be able to do it on the mud slide roads. The mudslide roads were fun. Slipping and sliding all over the place. Watching Kangaroo’s jumping off in to the bush as we approached.
We got out in one piece. The trouble happened when we stopped about 15 KM’s from where we got our flat tyre. It was a road side stop that if a tree hadn’t of fallen over the road, we would have just driven around and out again.
But no. We had a tree.
So we did a U-turn and got bogged!! In very deep mud. Right in front of a great big bull ants nest (biggest bull ants I’ve ever seen) so neither of us could stand at the front of the car and push to help get us out.
We were incredibly lucky that across the park there was a lone grey nomad who kindly unhitched his own caravan and came to the rescue. Otherwise who knows how long we would have been stuck there!
Once it started raining all hope was lost.
The first day we went in to town and did all of our washing. We bought the boys rain jackets to try and keep them dry.
By the second day, though it wasn’t too miserable, we just couldn’t keep dry and we ran out of dry socks REALLY fast!
The boys had fun being able to run and jump in the puddles as we took down the camp site and said a sad fair well to a camping trip that could have been longer if we were better prepared.
Gumboots, a gazebo and more socks are on top of our list for our next camping trip!
There is probably no need to say it, but Dougie had a blast camping.
All those new smell’s to smell. All those new smells to roll in. And our Dad’s dog to play with.
Within the first few hours though we noticed he was covered in burrs. Hundreds of them. His beautiful tail had to be snipped off and he had an impromptu hair cut with the scissors within the first day. I was very upset about the tail 
Yup. Jaxon caught his first fish before Daddy did.
Jaxon caught his first fish with Grandpa on our second day there. He was very excited, but like the boy that he is…would not touch it!! How these girly boys came out of ME I don’t know!
Poor Jaxon. This happened almost as soon as we got to the camp grounds. Now we have a large bag of mozzie repelling wrist bands to go on him, as well as soaking him in Aerogaurd.
Our first few days camping where absolutely beautiful! The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Not a cloud in sight.
My men had a ball. Hanging hammocks to swing in, fishing and wandering around the bush.
Easter Holidays! Yay! Off to go camping on the Murray with my Dad. What could be better?? Nothing. Nothing at all could be better.
Although, not getting a flat tyre on the way would have been nice!
Not only did we get a flat tyre but we were towing the trailer. AND, the boot where the spare tyre sat was filled to the brim with a whole heap of HEAVY stuff. Like our gas fridge. Tim had to empty it out in order to change the flat.
An hour and a half later we were back on our way. Phew! 
Enough said huh?? This is where Dexter slept for three nights after the big switch.
The boys sharing a room just isn’t going to plan.
We had thought that after some amount of time the excitement would die down and sleep would only take half an hour or so to find.
But this is THREE HOURS after bed time.
Time to change them BACK to being in their OWN bed rooms.
Take a close look at this photo.
There’s something not quite right about it.
Grandpa also got the kids kite’s for Christmas. It took a few days of nagging and waiting for wind but we finally got them up.
Did you know, that a box kite that get’s let go on a very windy day can go a very long way all on it’s own??
Well, we do now! Dexter’s simply ended up over the fence in the back ground. But when Jaxon did it, the thing nearly went over the school with no sign of dropping. If Daddy hadn’t jumped on the string at the very last minute, we may have lost it!
This was three weeks ago now and they are STILL staying up late, coming and going. Dobbing. Giggling, laughing, squealing. Jumping, banging, and breaking shit.
Tonight I stayed in there with them. Telling them to shut up, close their eyes and go to sleep for over an hour before they finally gave up fighting me.
Here is my handsome little man ready to go for his first school disco!
Apparently he spent the entire time in a horizontal position. Break dancing. He’s apparently very good at it too! I think I have a video!
The flavour of the month for Dexter has been “Fishies” AKA Finding Nemo. So this is what we went with for his birthday cake 
Turned very quickly in to an afternoon in the bath!
Dougie may look clean but he still stunk like to high heavens!
Still practicing.
Since getting our dog clippers I’ve managed to give Dougie two hair cuts.
It’s time consuming. With a night of brushing. A night for bathing. Another night to brush again, and then clipping.
Here he is before and after
Grandpa gave the boys a boat each for Christmas. So we went down to the local dam and gave them a whirl.
Well, one of the boats got stuck in some weedy stuff. So I suggested Tim go and get a log to pull it out.
The log he got to do this with was very large. The end he decided to put in the water was the heavy end. I innocently told him it would be easier to put the lighter end in when I noticed there was a MASSIVE spider on the end of the log.
This thing was huge!! And it was NOT happy with me!
It just so happened that my birthday fell on the day our Victorian Groodles decided to have a meet up. So the kids got to go to the dog beach at Ocean grove.
Jaxon’s never seen the ocean like this. He has seen a tide out, and he has seen tiny little lap waves. He’s played on muddy beaches. But he has never seen the ocean alive like this.
I think he may have loved it!
Dexter trying to have nap time on the trampoline. It didn’t work. 
We got the laser light out one night to tease Lucky.
It turns out Dougie is far more fun. He slides on the tiles
Great Grandma Gwen
Because Tim and I were unable to be there for the night that Mum had her 60th Birthday on a harbor cruise we were lucky enough to be given free tickets to the cruise ourselves. So Mum and James looked after the boys while we went out and had a lovely time on the boat…KID FREE! Magic!
Because we were at the back of the plane and we waited until it was almost empty to get off, the cabin crew thought Jaxon and Dexter were the kids behind us traveling alone and supervised by the stewardess’. So when we walked by they were invited in to the cock pit to say hello. Jaxon was tickled pink. Dexter and Gordy didn’t give a shit!
Sleeping on the plane…
Sleeping on the edge. He did eventually roll off, despite our best efforts to push him back.
Too cute not to share!
Jaxon loves sleeping with Dexter. He is now always saying he’s lonely and needs to sleep with us…
Before I start sharing photo’s of our absolutely fantastic holiday to Darwin I must first remind you WHY we were going in the first place!
This woman…
TURNED SIXTY!
Happy Birthday Mummy! You’re the most beautiful woman I know!
Thank you for our experience.
Love, *US*
The following photo is an example of why two year olds and camera’s with a 2 millisecond lag from when you push the button to when it TAKES the photo do NOT mix! Dexter WAS in the photo when I pushed the button!
There are so many more photo’s, but I pushed something here, said yes or maybe no to the wrong thing there, and poof! Gone were most of my uploaded photo’s. It’s late, I’ll try again tomorrow!
I know, I didn’t even put up the last Darwin photo’s!
Here are some from this little trip we took. The weather was MUCH nicer. We might even go as far as saying it was awesome.
Our first little venture was to the Aquascene fish feeding.
That massive fish, and many other statues about the Aquascene venue were hand carved by the man who started feeding the fish years ago. They are glorious!
Jaxon’s new PJ’s. They say “Do I creep you out?” on the front.
Dexter is so unlike Jaxon in almost every single aspect This is no exception. Jaxon went to bed, went to sleep. No fighting. No games. Simple, easy.
Peppa Pig. Bloody Peppa Pig. I am sick and tired of Peppa Pig! Three weeks running now and nothing different we’ve tried has influenced Dexter enough to stop wanting to watch Peppa Pig, TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY!
We nearly got a bite with Toy Story. He sat for almost all of the second movie. We even had a day with him walking around with Woody and another with Buzz. But our two day break from Peppa, did not last long.
If you’ve not watched Peppa Pig then you might not know that Peppa Pig has a baby brother George. And the most you ever hear George say is “Dinosaur, Rarrrrr”
You know you’re a mother of boys if this doesn’t even raise an eye brow.
Another crazy day of Groodle Fun! Our biggest turn out yet. 20 dogs and 40 + people
It would seem that the tongue of concentration is hereditary. I know I tend to stick my tongue out while I am painting and I have seen it in other member’s of Tim’s family as well as a few of my own while concentrating on the task at hand.
The evening before Anzac day.
Jaxon: Mum can I play with your tablet tomorrow??
Mum: Nope. I’ve told you, it’s my phone. Not a toy. You can only play with it on Friday afternoons.
Jaxon: But Mum, at the Anzac day assembly today the principle told us all that if our Mum or Dad have a tablet we are allowed to play with it on Anzac day because it’s a day off and we should have fun.
Mum: Oh Really? Did they write a note too??
Nice try.
Try harder!
The other night I had a bath. It was just Lucky and I up and while the bath filled he came and sat on my chest.
That’s where Lucky HAS to be. On your chest, or in your face. Or ON your head. Basically, in your way.
Well, the warm water kept rising and rising and that cat did not move! Half way up his back, with his tail floating, Lucky stayed on my chest. Nothing was going to make him move!
Here’s a few pics of our growing pussy!
Jaxon and Lucky experimenting with objects in a bowl of water over the school holidays. They were playing “Will it float?” (the skateboard, does not float. But doesn’t quite sink either!)
But not quite right??
These photo’s clearly happened years apart.
The one on the left displaying Jaxon at his lowest moment in his third year of life. Being busted emptying a bottle or two of baby powder in his room while unsupervised. Tim and I both remember clearly that when we went in trying desperately not to laugh at what he had done he started pointing here and there saying “I hurt myself here, here and here, and I wet my pants”
The one on the right, taken not three hours ago is Dexter’s handy work. Possibly the highest point in his second year of life. See the proud look on his face?? Know what he said when we growled at him for doing it?? “DOUG DID!” DOUG!”
Yep. That’s Dougie’s Surname.
He is the perfect, shining example of a well behaved dog on lead. He sits, drops, stays, sits back up, stays and turns and all this other stuff most of your dogs will never know the meaning of. He’ll even come on command. But you let him off that lead and it’s almost as if you disappear! Especially if there is food or Lucky about.
Anyway. Somehow, despite all of his puppy floors, I love him. And I love training with him of a Saturday afternoon. Where I get to be proud of him and show off a little because 1) He is a stunning looking dog and 2) he is exceptionally good on lead.
Well, about three weeks ago we participated in what the club call’s a Fun Day. I had no idea what that actually meant, but it sounded like FUN and they did a sausage sizzle. Who could refuse hey??
Of 47 dogs in our class (level 1) Dougie and I came Third. Oh how I wish we had come first. But alas, we shall need to try harder. Or release rabbits for the 46 other contestants! We were graduated to Level 2 that day and given a pretty white ribbon to hang on the wall.
Level Two has been interesting to say the least. Being that Dougie just does not like men, or strangers. My new trainer walked by a few times. Offered food a few times. And Dougie seemed very content to take that food and give a little tail wag. But when that same trainer tried to demonstrate a move with Dougie, who is very good at said move compared to the other 10 dogs in our little group, things didn’t quite go to plan.
At first, Dougie was fine. He walked along, heeling as he would normally do. And sitting when he was told. But then!! Dougie LOOKED UP. And if he could have talked he would have said “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MUMMY!?” Because two seconds later said male trainer was holding on to Dougie’s lead for dear life as Dougie tried to escape him, doing circles around and around him like a little puppy merry go round.
Anyway. Here are some Fun Day Photo’s. No matter what any one else thinks, I am proud of my dog, proud of the training I do with him and proud that we came third.
Well, I haven’t POSTED for ages. That doesn’t need to be said.
But I have been writing. I have been blogging and writing about our lives on my tablet since my very last post here in November.
I will get around to getting them here. I just have to figure out how.
This of course is to demonstrate more of Dexter’s growing vocabulary than it is of his ability to bring me an entire roll of toilet paper one sheet at a time!
Dexter LOVES music and dancing!! He often get’s caught bopping to hippy hoppy kind of songs in the back seat of the car but if we try to catch it on video he stops! This was a +41 degree day so I think his brain was a little fried and I took advantage!
